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Digital odyssey: lessons learnt from a reverse transition from a digital to a manual pathology workflow
  1. Alessandro Caputo1,
  2. Miriam Angeloni2,
  3. Francesco Merolla3,
  4. Simona Vatrano4,
  5. Fulvia Ferrazzi2,5,
  6. Filippo Fraggetta4
  1. 1 Department of Pathology, University Hospital of Salerno, Salerno, Italy
  2. 2 Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
  3. 3 Department of Medicine and Health Sciences Vincenzo Tiberio, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy
  4. 4 Unit of Pathology, Gravina Hospital, Caltagirone, Italy
  5. 5 Department of Nephropathology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
  1. Correspondence to Dr Filippo Fraggetta; filippofra{at}hotmail.com

Abstract

In the fully digital Caltagirone pathology laboratory, a reverse shift from a digital to a manual workflow occurred due to a server outage in September 2023. Here, insights gained from this unplanned transition are explored. Surveying the affected pathologists and technicians revealed unanimous preferences for the time-saving and error-reducing capabilities of the digital methodology. Conversely, the return to manual methods highlighted increased dissatisfaction and reduced efficiency, emphasising the superiority of digital workflows. This case study underscores that transition challenges are not inherent to digital workflows but to transitioning itself, advocating for the adoption of digital technologies in all pathology practices.

  • TELEPATHOLOGY
  • Laboratory Personnel
  • Process Assessment, Health Care

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Footnotes

  • Handling editor Runjan Chetty.

  • X @ACaputoMD

  • Contributors AC and FFraggetta conceived the study. AC gathered and analysed data, and drafted the manuscript. All authors revised the manuscript and agree with the final version.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests AC, FM and FFraggetta report ad hoc advisory board membership with Roche Diagnostics Italia unrelated to the current work. FFraggetta is one of the inventors of 'Sample imaging and imagery archiving for imagery comparison Merlo, P.T. et al. US patent 16/688/613 2020'. The remaining authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

  • Supplemental material This content has been supplied by the author(s). It has not been vetted by BMJ Publishing Group Limited (BMJ) and may not have been peer-reviewed. Any opinions or recommendations discussed are solely those of the author(s) and are not endorsed by BMJ. BMJ disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the content. Where the content includes any translated material, BMJ does not warrant the accuracy and reliability of the translations (including but not limited to local regulations, clinical guidelines, terminology, drug names and drug dosages), and is not responsible for any error and/or omissions arising from translation and adaptation or otherwise.